Starling-machine



(No Model.)

J. HELM. STAPLING MACHINE. No. 457,049. Patented Aug. 4, 1891.

WM M Q I. I II F LE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HELM, OF SEATTLE, XVASHINGTON.

STAPLING -MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,049, dated August4, 1891. Application filed January 31, 1891. Serial No, 379,843. (lIomodel.)

To all whom i2? may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HELM, a citizen of the United States, residingat Seattle, in the county of King and State of "Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in stapling-Machines; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a handstapling niaehine; and my object is toproduce a selffeeding device which will be more cheap, simple, durable,and easy to operate.

With this purpose in view my invention consists in the peculiar featuresand combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter, and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofmy device; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the plunger mechanism, and Figs.3, at, 5, and 6 detail views.

The reference-letter ais the base, which may be of any convenient form,and it is provided with an oblong cavity 17, which receives and clinchesthe ends of the staples as they are forced down into it by aspring-plunger 0, operating vertically in a head d on the free end of anoverhanging arm 6, which is pivoted to the base between lugs f. By beingthus pivoted the arm 6 can be raised and lowered to adapt itself tovarious thicknesses of paper or material to be stapled. An inclinedfeeding bar or track g is fastened to the under side of the arm 6 andreceives the staples g, which are strung upon it and gravitate forwardto the plunger, where they are held in check by the cut-off springs 2',fastened upon opposite sides of the groove n, in which the lower end ofthe plunger reciprocates. The free ends m of the springs are maderectangular to fit over the corners of the track g. The plunger 0 isprovided with the usual retracting-spring c and a fiat bar 72/ formingthe lower end of the plunger. This bar operates in the vertical grooveor chute n, across the bottom of which is placed a spring-apron orstaple-holder 70, onto which the staples drop and are held in an uprightposition, as seen in Fig. 5.

The cut-off springs 'i are opened and closed by an oval cam h on theside of the bar it, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.

The overhanging arm 6 is limited in its upward movement by arearwardly-extending arm e. i

The preferred construction of my invention having been set forth, I willnow proceed to describe its operation. The staples are first placedastride the feeding-track g, which is sufficiently inclined to make themslide forward against the cut-off springs 'i, and when so placed thedescent of the plunger causes the oval cam h to spread apart the cut-citsprings, which liberate one staple and allow it to fall down against theside of the bar' h, as shown in Fig. 4. Now when theplunger flies upthis liberated staple will drop down through the chute n and upon thespringapron it, which, being placed obliquely across the chute, holdsthe staple in an upright position to receive the end of the plunger. Thepaper having first been placed beneath the plunger the latter is given asharp blow, which will send the prongs ot the staple through the paperand into the cavity 1), which clinches them. The upward recoil of theplunger withdraws the cam from between the springs, and the latter flyback tocut off the supply, while the staple, which has been liberated bythe downward movement of the plunger, drops down upon the spring-apronand in position to be struck by the plunger. Hence it will be seen thatevery downward stroke of the plunger will simultaneously liberate astaple from the feeding-track and force another into the paper ormaterial operated upon, while each upward stroke cuts oil? the feed, andthus the staples are automatically fed to the plunger and held in aposition to be struck thereby, which leaves both hands of the operatorfree to adjust the paper or to strike the plunger.

Having thus described the preferred construction of my device, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stapling-machine, the combination,

with a plunger, an inclined track adapted toreceive the staples and tofeed them toward the plunger, a pair of cut-off springs located at thelower end of the track, and a cam upon the plunger for opening thesprings, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a stapling-machine, the combination, plunger, an inclined trackadapted to receive with a plunger, an inclined track adapted to thestaples, cut-off springs at the lower end receive and feed the staplesto the plunger, a pair of cut-off springs having their upper endsfastened upon opposite sides of the plunger, and a cam upon the plungerfor opening the springs, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a stapling-machine, the combination of a base having anoverhanging arin pivoted thereto, a plunger operating therein, a springapron or holder located beneath the of the track, and a cam upon theplunger and adapted to to actuate the springs, in the manner and for thepurpose substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN I-IELM. Witnesses:

GEO. H. KING, J. W. CLIsE.

